Living with Heat Pumps: trialling low-carbon heating in social housing
Oh Yes! Net Zero’s objective is for Hull to lead the way in demonstrating how a city can become net zero, bringing local businesses and organisations together to foster collaboration and providing practical support in creating carbon reduction plans.
Among the collaborations Oh Yes! Net Zero has facilitated is a pioneering project between Hull City Council and heating solutions manufacturer Ideal Heating.
The ‘Living with Heat Pumps’ trial is evaluating air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in council housing and could reshape home heating across the UK.
Why decarbonising housing stock is important
With domestic heating responsible for 14% of the UK’s carbon emissions in 2022, Hull City Council has prioritised decarbonising its 23,000 homes to help it achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
The council has already invested in better insulation to improve energy efficiency in its mostly gas-heated homes, but was keen to explore the best way to retrofit the estate in line with its low-carbon ambitions.
Capturing performance data and resident feedback
When a refurbishment programme identified four ground-floor council flats needing new heating, Oh Yes! Net Zero facilitated a trial that led to Ideal Heating installing its flagship Logic Air heat pumps in the properties. Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air to warm spaces and water and emit around 75% less carbon than gas boilers.
As part of the Living with Heat Pumps trial, new gas combi boilers were installed in four neighbouring properties of similar size, enabling accurate comparisons to be drawn between the energy performance and efficiency of the heat pumps versus traditional boilers.
Data on energy performance, cost and thermal comfort will be collected throughout the trial to measure the efficiency of both the heat pumps and boilers. Resident feedback is vital, providing valuable insights into the impact of transitioning to low-carbon heating.
Early results
While gas boilers are designed to provide quick bursts of high heat, heat pumps offer a steadier supply of lower heat, requiring good insulation – a minimum ‘C’ energy rating – to be effective.
Early feedback from the trial indicates the lower, more constant temperature of radiators in flats with heat pumps creates a more comfortable environment. One tenant, who has asthma, reported better control of her condition after the heat pump was installed.
The future
Martin Budd, climate change manager at Hull City Council, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock is key to achieving our net zero goals and reducing energy costs for tenants.
“Air source heat pumps are still new in the UK and typically installed in larger, detached homes. This trial with Ideal Heating allows us to evaluate their potential in social housing.”
John Jackson, Ideal Heating’s heat pump technical sales manager, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Hull City Council on a project which could have a real impact on the way homes in the city are heated in the future.
“By comparing the performance of heat pumps and gas boilers, we aim to provide crucial data and resident feedback that will inform future heating strategies, contributing to a greener, more sustainable future for all.”
Melissa Rackham, community engagement manager at Oh Yes! Net Zero, said: “The Living with Heat Pumps project demonstrates the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainability goals by bringing organisations together to find innovative solutions that will help our region reach net zero.”